One Week in our Lives
by Rainbow Daydreamer
Summary: Sorta alternateish... The DDs are 19, Sora's engaged to Tai, Matt won't talk to anyone, Kari's acting weird, there's a new prophecy, where will it all end? Awful fic, but it was fun at the time.
1. The Happiest Week of my Life?

One Week in Our Lives  
  
By: Rainbow Daydreamer  
  
Disclaimer (might as well get it out of the way) I don't own, didn't own, won't own and don't want to own Digimon.  
  
Bi: Drat!  
  
Daydreamer [in darkness] Be there in a second! What's up?  
  
Bi: As if it wasn't a rotten enough night with all this rain, [spreads wings] the power's gone!  
  
Daydreamer: So what?  
  
Bi: No light to read by... no TV, no radio, no computer... no phone... What's a bird to do?  
  
Daydreamer: [thoughtfully] Well, what do you reckon people did before someone happened to invent electricity? Especially on long dark nights like this. [Bi shrugs in the dark] They sat by the fire, they ate and drank, and they told stories. Long stories.  
  
Bi: What good's that to us?  
  
Daydreamer: I've got the lemonade and the ginger biscuits. Time for a saga of our own.  
  
Bi: You don't mean!  
  
.............  
  
VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE.  
  
I think I warned you in the summary that this would be alternate-ish. Well, what I'm planning to do is pretend Series Two never existed. [ducks to avoid the crazy Davis, Yolei, Cody and Ken fans] Look, I wrote Forever Kari. Awful as it is, all you 02 lovers can go read that. For now, all I've taken from 02 is some people's post-Digital occupations, their looks and TK's attachment to Kari. I reckon if other people can make (examples at random) Sora into a medieval magician, Ken into a mad serial killer, Davis into a small-time crook and kill off Kari altogether (that girl must be a pretty fed-up ghost by now) it isn't such a crime for me to imagine my Digimon-watching career stopped at the end of Season One, is it? Don't like, don't read.  
  
....................  
  
(Oh, and P.S. - This story takes place about eight years after Season One. If I'm not wrong that makes Tai, etc about 19 and TK/Kari 16. I didn't actually see the final 01 episode [my video recorder packed up] so put any discrepancies down to Alternate Universes. Please!)  
  
...................  
  
Chapter One: The Happiest Week of my Life?  
  
*Sora*  
  
I covered my ears with a smile so I couldn't hear the squeak of excitement at the other end of the line. "Mimi, calm down. It's not till next week, you know."  
"Yeah, I know." Mimi's voice was filled with a happy giggle. "But what a week it's going to be for you. The happiest week of your life, Sora."  
"I need some help," I told her. "It was Tai's idea- he wants to invite all the old crowd. You know... Matt, Izzy, Joe, TK, you. And Kari, of course, but we can get her on our own! Any idea where they've got to?"  
"Well, I saw Izzy in the park the other day," Mimi said thoughtfully. "On his newest laptop, of course. Joe's at Odaiba University, it won't be hard to find him if we ask the right people. And Matt and TK... well, you don't need telling where they are. Ask any female teenager you like."  
"What? Even you, Mimi?" I teased her, knowing she wouldn't take it to heart. We'd been best friends too long for that. Girls who can stay friends when there's several continents between them certainly aren't hurt by a joke or two.  
"Well, I'll come round as soon as I can," she finished. "See you, Sora." Click. I put down the receiver with a smile and went to find Tai.  
  
It was hard to believe at times that it had been eight years since we'd left the digital world far behind us. I still missed Biyomon, of course- who wouldn't? And I thought about the little bird often. I really wished she could have been with me next week, on my special day.  
I turned on the TV and froze momentarily at the sight of a face I knew. Oh, yes, of course. It was his new band, Emelesce. Odd name, that. It had been bothering me for a while now. I'd tried reversing it, scrambling the letters, searching foreign-language dictionaries- nothing. But then, why should I be bothered? It wasn't my kind of music anyway. With a flick of my finger I changed the channel. Some wildlife show or other, just the thing to fall asleep to. It had been a long day. Tai'd taken me to organise the reception, deciding just what we were going to need and how much it would cost. I never knew it could be so stressful. But of course, it would be worth it in the end.  
  
Tired but happy, I curled up on the sofa with the nature presenter's voice soothing me to sleep. I'd forgotten to close the curtains and my face looked strange, almost sad reflected in the darkened window. Better get some shut-eye, Sora. After all, you've got a busy week ahead of you. And don't look so sad. After all, you're in for...  
  
The happiest week of my life.  
  
...................  
  
I dedicate at least the first bit of this to Chikin Wang. Maybe you can even find something good to say about THIS. 


	2. The Lowest Week of my Life

One Week in Our Lives  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, ok? Although just out of interest, I DID write Matt's song at the end of this chapter.  
  
........  
  
Part Two: The Lowest Week of my Life  
  
*Matt*  
  
As the last note echoed through the packed arena, the audience went wild. I breathed a sigh of relief and pushed back my hair. Like always, Emelesce had brought down the house. Now to avoid the screaming crowds as they tried to force their way onto the stage. Thank goodness for security.  
Oh, no, not again. Journalists. I thought once I'd never get tired of all the attention. With a tilt of my hand I wave the Press crew over to TK. He's good at dealing with this sort of thing.  
"Yes, it has been a great concert. No, I don't know what's up with Matt. Yes, he is my brother, but a guy's got to keep some air of mystery when he's a rock star." Good answer, TK. The press had been trying for weeks to get to the bottom of my silence. They'd have a hard job. Only I knew the reason, and I wouldn't- couldn't- tell.  
  
Somebody passed me a glass of water. I drank it thirstily. All those vocals had made my throat incredibly sore. I glanced sympathetically at my bass guitarist, still being interrogated.  
"And one more thing, Takeru- may I call you Takeru? I was wondering if you could shed any light on the name Emel-"  
"If we've told you once," interrupted TK, "we've told you a thousand times, Matt refuses to say why he picked that name. Now could you please get off stage, the crowd want an encore."  
  
Oh, yes. Emelesce. That set them off almost as much as the whole silence thing- though so far nobody had even suggested a connection. The articles in music magazines had been about style, mostly. "Emelesce: Does the enigmatic new name signal a deeper side to Matt Ishida?" It did, all right. More than they'd ever know. Then I shocked them more, started the silent treatment. At first they thought it was just for their benefit, rock hero Matt trying to appear stony and untouchable. Then they found out I didn't talk to my parents, to TK. Scandal alert. "Does Matt need therapy?" Again, many a true word.  
  
"OK, people. Calm down." TK was brilliant. "We'll do an encore. What do you want?" He listened carefully to the explosion of noise. "Right, Matt. 'Know You' seems to be the done thing. Let's do it and get out of here." Know You. My first ballad number. Somehow it seemed to strike more than a musical chord.  
  
I knew that TK sensed something was wrong. But without my words he didn't know exactly what, and I meant to keep it that way.  
Sometimes I did wonder if it would be better just to trust in someone, to tell them what was making me feel this way. But I just couldn't, that was the thing. If the secret got out I'd end up hurting some of the people I would never want to hurt. Some of my best friends.  
  
"Quiet, you lot, please! Do you want to hear Matt or not?" TK struck up a soft chord from the back of the stage. My cue.  
  
"I know you, I know the light in your eyes,  
  
I know you, I know the shimmer in your smile,  
  
I know you, I know how you laugh, how you cry,  
  
and now I know- how I wish I'd never known you."  
  
No. Never, ever tell. It was far better to get carried away by the music, to fly on currents of melody so high that it hurt when I had to come down, just for the peace it brought. Music, my constant love ever since I used to play harmonica by moonlight. Sad melody and haunting chords. I looked at the white spotlight illuminating the crowd. Not so different really.  
  
I know you, I know the love that fills your heart  
  
I know you, and what you think of when light turns to dark..  
  
I know you, but I know there's something can't be ours  
  
I know you..  
  
And now I wish I'd never known you. 


	3. The most chaotic week of my life

One Week in Our Lives  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Really!  
  
Daydreamer: What do you think so far?  
  
Bi: [impatiently] Get on with it, Dream!  
  
Daydreamer: Honestly, I stop talking long enough to get a mouthful of lemonade and you blow a complete fuse.  
  
....... AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just thought I'd warn you the couple situation may/will change before all's said and done. In fact, the only thing guaranteed is- of course- Takari. Wouldn't have THAT any other way. In my world, Takari will be there until the sky falls in. Meant to be. (And if you must disagree, please control your fury, Daikari/whatever-else-Kari fans. I'm only an innocent romantic.) .......  
  
Part Three: The Most Chaotic Week of my Life  
  
*Mimi*  
  
Honestly! This had to be the most chaotic few days of my life so far, and no mistake. You'd think if you didn't know better that we were packing for a voyage to the moon, not setting up our new apartment after a few years in America.  
I picked my way through the piles of cardboard boxes and plastic bags that filled the untidy flat. Goodness only knew where we would put all this stuff. I reckoned it was time to desert the sinking through the piles of cardboard boxes and plastic bags that filled the untidy flat. Goodness only knew where we would put all this stuff. I reckoned it was time to desert the sinking ship. "Sora? I'm coming over."  
  
What a reunion. Sora positively threw herself at me the minute I got my feet onto the hall carpet. Tai grinned happily at me from the living-room sofa. He'd grown in a few years, and he seemed to have ditched those goggles as well. Of course, now they'd be too small for him. "Long time no see, Meems." It had been a long time since anybody had used that nickname, and I laughed at the surprise of it.  
I couldn't remember exactly how long Tai and Sora had been together, but they'd certainly done a lot with this apartment. I sat down on the sofa and prepared for the longest girl-chat of my life with one of the best friends I'd got.  
  
It took less time than you'd expect to explain why we'd returned to Japan. My parents' unsteady American business venture had finally bitten the dust. Nil desperandum, though, as Izzy would probably say. We came back with the aim of strengthening old friendships and finding new opportunities.  
Sora sent out for a pizza to keep us going for the rest of the evening. Then as the light began to fade she sprung her surprise. "Guess what, Mimi? I've invited a few friends over. Hope you don't mind."  
As she spoke there was a ring at the doorbell. Tai swept it open to reveal Joe standing a little sheepishly on the stairs, looking the same as ever except for the university books and folders balanced on one arm. "Sora thought I might like to drop in." He glanced backwards. "Looks like we're in for nasty weather tonight."  
No sooner had Joe closed the door than the bell rang again. Izzy manoeuvred his flashy new laptop into the flat and placed it carefully on the glass coffee-table. "Hi, people. What, you've got Joe and Mimi here already? Pr-"  
We chorused laughingly, "Prodigious!"  
  
I heard the storm break outside. Rain poured down on the skylights in Sora's roof. Moments later there was a furious banging on the door. Giggling embarrassedly, Sora opened it. In fell Matt and TK, already dripping wet, followed by Tai's sister Kari. "We picked up Kari on the way," explained TK, breathless. "From her violin lesson."  
Neither TK or Kari had actually changed that much since I'd last seen them. True, TK was wearing some sort of stupid hat and Kari's hair was slightly different, but otherwise eight years seemed to have had little effect on them.  
Matt brushed rainwater off his jacket and leant his guitar against the sofa. He was a total contrast to TK- I'd never imagined he'd have grown this tall, and his hair was brushed back in a style that was a million miles from the crazy spikes he'd had in the Digiworld. TK glanced at us apologetically. "Matt says hi."  
Of course, I remembered the articles now. Sora made her usual light of the whole thing. "Well, try and figure out whether he wants any pizza." Even Matt couldn't help smiling.  
  
"Look at the rain!" exclaimed Joe, staring out of the window. In the next moment, all the lights went out. Power cut.  
"You can't go home in this," Tai declared. "Sora, is it OK if they all stay here for the night?"  
Sora put me on the sofa, and it was quite a cosy place to sleep when all was said and done. I took one more look in the darkness at my friends, Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Joe, TK, Kari. Just like old times.  
"I wish things could be, though..." I knew no-one was close enough to hear me whisper in the dark. "We've drifted so far apart since that summer. I wish we could be like that again..."  
"What?" Kari had woken. "What did you say, Mimi?"  
"Nothing," I lied. "Nothing at all."  
  
.............  
  
RD's note:  
  
Heavens! I put up two chapters for two days, six reviews no less. Eek! Thanks, though. I'll try and respond here as best I can.  
  
Everybody- Thank you for all the nice comments.  
  
Lilmary, DJ Clue, Butterfly- Thanks. Will do.  
  
Dragon's Star- What, Matt's song? Personally I think it's awful. Wait and see re Kari.  
  
Miaow227- Maybe you do know, maybe you don't. The chapters are getting longer...and longer...  
  
HuntressDiana- I'm sorry! So sorry! I've already planned the plot and it isn't, in fact it revolves around it not being... I'll write you one sometime that is from start to finish. OK? 


	4. The Weirdest Week of my Life

One Week in Our Lives  
  
Disclaimer: Digimon, ce n'est pas à moi. (If you'll pardon the French.)  
  
...............  
  
Bi: You think anyone'll ever want to read this story?  
  
Daydreamer: Apart from you? Not likely.  
  
Bi: But it's happened before. Remember the day I was ill? You wrote Forever Kari. And that other thing, the night I talked you into not going out....  
  
Daydreamer [throwing cushion at Bi] Yeah, and they were awful!  
  
Bi: [squawks]  
  
................ Author's note: I said I'd ignore S2, but I've copied what happened to Mimi after 01. Including that guy, Michael. He won't show up, though. Not in person. ................  
  
Part Four: The Weirdest Week of my Life  
  
*Tai*  
  
Apart from the power cut, I reckoned this was turning out to be a pretty good night. Sora had said she was planning on inviting some old friends, but I hadn't imagined she meant EVERYBODY. Still, it was nice to chat and catch up on what was going on. My only mistake was asking Meems how things were going with that American boy she'd told me about. What was his name? Michael. When I asked, she looked a bit upset. I didn't know they'd broken up, poor kid. Mimi, I mean.  
It was a bit tricky, but eventually we found somewhere for everyone to sleep. Emphasis on the 'somewhere'. Poor Matt ended up sleeping in the bath. TK reckoned he didn't mind. I took his word for it.  
"G'night, everyone," I shouted, and finally managed to get my head down for the night. It had been another long day. But- like Sora- I reckoned it was worth it. As I drifted off to sleep I thought I heard somebody whisper something. Must have been my imagination. Either that or Joe tripping over Izzy in the dark.  
  
I had a weird dream that night. Sora was looking down at me from somewhere. She kept saying "Tai, we've got to save the world, we've got to go." And I wanted to follow her but my feet were stuck in a bucket of ice and I fell over. Wacky. Must have been the sight of all those ex-Digikids- either that or the pizza and lemonade. Sora doesn't drink and Matt can't, it might damage his singing voice, so we got lemonade.  
  
When I woke, my feet did feel incredibly cold. Perhaps the duvet had come off in the night. I still felt incredibly sleepy and opening my eyes would be a struggle. It was the weekend, after all, so why get up early? I could just lie here and think about stuff. The wedding. What we might do now we had the Digikids back together. The weather! Anything. Was it morning? There was no sunlight on my eyelids. Reluctantly I opened one eye. Pitch black. It must have been the middle of the night.  
But there was something else, too, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. As I breathed in the cold night air, I felt a new sensation in it, almost a kind of electricity. Like at rock concerts when they turn the amplifier on, only there was no sound. Excitement, I thought, then wondered why I had. Excitement over what? Surely not the wedding, there was another week to go and it wasn't as though we hadn't planned it for months. And although it was great fun having our old friends to laugh and talk with, it wasn't exactly the Event of the Century. No, this was something different. Something I hadn't felt for a long time. And I couldn't work out what it was.  
  
"Tai?"  
  
I nearly jumped out of my skin. But it was only Kari, sitting up somewhere near me. KARI? She shouldn't have been even in the same room. I knew she was my sister, but we'd put her in the spare room for the night because, well, that was the way it worked now. I felt guilty for a moment. Really I'd almost been ignoring her for the last few months.  
  
"Kari, what are you doing in here?" I hissed. In the dark I saw her face change.  
"I was about to ask you the same question. It looks like one of us is sleepwalking."  
Carefully I got to my feet. "I'll try and find the light switch." I shuffled across the floor. It felt colder than I remembered. We couldn't both have got down to the kitchen without knowing it? Suddenly I stumbled over something. "Yikes! What was that?"  
"That," said a familiar, but exasperated voice, "would be me." Joe's glasses glinted as he got to his feet. "Will someone please explain what's going on?"  
  
Kari and now Joe as well? It didn't make sense. Joe should have been in the living-room, he'd been thoughtful enough to bring a sleeping bag. I sighed. "Have you got a torch by any chance?"  
He fished around in his bag and moments later there was a click and a dazzling light. Kari and I groaned, covering our eyes. Then, carefully, I uncovered mine and took a look around. It was clear there would be a fair amount of explaining to do. ........................  
  
This spell checker needs sorting out. So far it's tried to make Digimon into 'Davison' and 'Demigod'. I ask you.  
  
....................  
  
RD's responses (to email and reviews)  
  
Everyone: It's nice to know people are appreciating what I write. If you're interested in the plot try not to read the reviews as yet- someone might guess it!  
  
RG/MI (who goes by many names)- Thanks for the job. I'm on it.  
  
Dragon's Star- You're sharp. Shh.  
  
Miaow227- Will do. Thanks.  
  
Nami- Oh, that would be giving the game away.  
  
Elle787, if you're reading this- Thanks for the beta test. 


	5. The Most Fascinating Week of my Life

One Week in Our Lives  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Or Davison, or Demigod.  
  
Part Five: The Most Fascinating Week of my Life  
  
*Izzy*  
  
Tai's exclamation was what really woke me. The place had been lit up for a while but, like the others, I had been happy just to lie there with my mind on my own thoughts. It was hearing Tai shout "What on earth?" that brought me back to reality.  
  
I opened my eyes to see Tai, Matt, Sora and all the others standing in a huddle. It was unclear where we were, but one thing was certain. This wasn't the same place that we'd been in last night.  
If it hadn't been for the stone architecture the room would have resembled some sort of school hall. It was certainly quite big, with no furniture anywhere in sight and a few small windows near the top of one wall. Another had some sort of carving on it. Maybe we could take a look at it later. It seemed we'd all been sleeping on the floor.  
  
Matt suddenly made a face. "What's up with him?" asked Tai.  
"He's just realised his guitar's still at Sora's," I grinned. "My new laptop's missing too. All I've got is this little pocket databank, and it's only got a twenty-eight-K internet link."  
Sora started to laugh. "Oh, Izzy!" I knew what she meant. But an Internet connection could be more valuable than she realised. We could find out what was going on, for a start. I don't know about anybody else, but in Japan teenagers don't suddenly get teleported from place to place (though the researchers are working on it.)  
I turned on the databank and tried to dial up. Nothing. "Oh, shucks," I muttered. "Connection's down." Fed up, I switched it off again and sat down beside Tai.  
And then a thought struck me. It couldn't possibly be, could it? I turned the databank on again and set it to making climate statistics. Then I read them through. "Tai," I said quietly, "I've got a theory."  
  
"Yeah?" For once he really sounded interested.  
"We've come full circle, Tai. I know where we are."  
  
Oh, they didn't believe it at first, and I can't say I blame them. TK laughed, Mimi squeaked, and Matt just stared. But in time I convinced them.  
Kari was the only one who really looked happy. "Why're you smiling like that?" Tai asked her.  
"Don't you see? It's like we've come home."  
  
Tai, Matt and Sora went to take a look at the wall to see if there was a way out. I knew that wasn't my sort of thing. Instead I came over to the opposite side of the room to look at the carvings on that wall.  
"Prodigious!" I breathed. This wasn't any old squiggles and dots. This was the same sort of Digital script that I'd seen before. It just confirmed my hypothesis. But what did it say? It had been so long... but it was all coming back to me. Each symbol is a letter of the alphabet, apart from a few which mean special things....  
  
The first part turned out to be a poetic version of the Legend of the Digidestined. I saved it to my datapad, but thought little more about it. It was the next part that intrigued me. I almost called the others over, but they were much too busy. What this looked like was another ancient prophecy, as cryptic as they come, but valuable.  
  
Eight years of their world after our world is saved the Digidestined children shall return. A new threat shall challenge the worlds and once again we shall need their aid.  
  
The Chosen Children will face many trials...  
  
I rubbed at the stone to take the dust off the next symbols. It was hard to see them even with the aid of the torch.  
  
...Till....  
  
"I'll have to guess at a few of these symbols," I murmured to myself.  
  
Till bravery and truth are linked forever, Till faith and brightness are brought together, Till love becomes cruel and beautiful, But love survives to fight another day  
  
That last one was strange. The symbol was the same both times, but styled slightly different each time. I didn't see how it could mean anything but love, but...  
  
When darkness threatens to envelop all A challenge will be set to all who hear The Digidestined children must have faith.  
  
For darkness is destroyed by those who believe And all will be as once it was And many things that were lost will be found.  
  
The prophecy, if that was what it was, ended there. I couldn't even guess what it might mean, apart from one thing. We were going to have to save the Digiworld, again. Oh well, I told myself. There are worse ways to spend your week off.  
  
A moment later Tai shouted. "We're through!"  
  
I looked up to see daylight flooding through one of the uncovered windows. Somebody'd got us a way out.  
  
"Hold on," I yelled, entering the last of the prophecy into my databank and hitting Save. "Wait for me. I'm coming."  
  
...................  
  
Daydreamer: Well, I never thought I could write as Izzy and get away with it.  
  
Bi: Maybe you haven't.  
  
Daydreamer: I reckon the next bit's going to be longer.  
  
Bi: Who's that?  
  
Daydreamer: [sighing] Kari. How the heck do you tell a story like Kari?  
  
Bi: You just open your beak like this and cross your wing-tips.  
  
..................  
  
Miaow227- Thanks. Will do.  
  
HuntressDiana- I'll do it when I've got time (which might not be for a while... Sixth form, aargh!) Our world? Digiworld? Tai the protagonist, Sora the protagonist? Oh, and it was meant to be funny about Matt sleeping in the bath. But don't think I'd ever be REALLY nasty to a character in the name of comedy. Any character. Certainly not him. 


	6. The Scariest Week of my Life

One Week in Our Lives  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.  
  
Author's note: Well done to anyone who's managed to get this far. I promise, the action starts here. And if you're going to flame anything don't let it be my poetry. Have you any idea how HARD it is to write a credible ancient prophecy? No, nor did I until I tried. You have to be specific and vague at the same time.  
  
................  
  
Part Six: The Scariest Week of my Life  
  
*Kari*  
  
Everyone must have had something, sometime, where they've wanted to tell a secret but been too afraid. I don't think there's anyone who hasn't felt like that at some time. And that was the only reason why I couldn't really enjoy the experience of being back here- back in a place where I sort of belonged.  
There was something I had to tell Tai and TK. Come on, kid, I thought. You're not the baby of the group any more, you're sixteen years old. It needs telling. But I just couldn't. So I tried to shove it to the back of my mind and forget. Somehow I felt I wasn't the only one trying to do this kind of thing.  
  
"Hurry up, Kari!" yelled Tai. "Do you want to sit there staring into space all day? This is our great escape!" With a sigh I got to my feet and followed him.  
  
Light dazzled my eyes. I was looking out onto a landscape of snow-covered mountains which glittered in the morning sun. I shivered. It was bitterly cold. My feet sank into the deep snow that must have fallen last night.  
Without knowing where we were going, we started to walk. Tai was going a bit slower than usual. I knew he didn't like the cold. Matt was OK, but then from what Tai'd told me there had been at least one occasion where Matt had practically frozen his eyelashes off. An expression of Sora's. Joe seemed to have brought a fleecy jacket- I don't know how that boy manages to walk with all the things he carries 'just in case'. Mimi's teeth were chattering. Izzy hardly seemed to have noticed the weather.  
In time we reached the top of one of the smaller peaks. We looked out over the huge expanse that was- according to Izzy- the Digiworld.  
"Shame you didn't bring that little telescope, Tai," muttered TK. But everything was in crisp focus. The ground was snow-covered as far as we could see.  
Izzy looked up. "Obviously I haven't got my records with me, but offhand I didn't think the Digiworld had winters like this. It must be some sort of dramatic climate change."  
"Global freezing?" suggested Mimi, rubbing her bare arms to get rid of the goosebumps on them.  
"It's too cold to stand talking," said Joe. "Let's get moving again before somebody catches frostbite."  
  
I couldn't remember ever walking so far in the snow. Perhaps coming to the Digiworld wasn't such a good thing after all. My feet were beginning to feel numb when Tai looked up at the darkening sky and shouted "All right, hands up who wants to make camp?" Instant approval. And who had the tent? Joe, who else.  
I had some chocolate biscuits I'd meant to bring to Sora's, so we handed them round. Tai tried to get a fire going, but even with everyone's help it was impossible. "What we really need is a Digimon," sighed Sora. Izzy and Joe sat down together with Izzy's databank to try and work out where we were and how to get to safety.  
"We ought to send someone out to scout," Tai said. "Shall I?"  
"No," said Joe, looking up. "You're the leader. Stay here." Tai looked flattered, probably impressed that Joe still saw him as the leader of the group.  
Sora stood up. "Well, the walk might warm me up. I'll take a look."  
"You're not going on your own," said Tai quickly. Suddenly I felt somebody nudge me with their elbow. I looked round and saw Matt raise his eyebrows at me.  
"I think Matt wants to go too," I told them. He got to his feet and followed Sora away from the camp, hands in pockets. "More biscuits, anyone?" I asked, breaking the silence.  
  
It became very dark. December in the real world had nothing on this. I could see the stars shining a long way above my head. "Starlight, star bright..." I whispered. "I wish..." But my voice trailed away. There were so many things to wish for.  
I became conscious again of the cold. I was wrapped up in a jumper and long socks, but it was still incredibly cold. I glanced at the others. Everybody seemed to be all right apart from Mimi. She was shivering so much that she couldn't talk. I would have liked to help her, but my jumper wasn't likely to be big enough for a 19-year-old.  
  
Tai seemed to have noticed as well. "Here, Mimi," he called. "You can borrow my sweater. I don't need that when I've got my jacket on." He threw it across to her, and without so much as a complaint about the colour she pulled it over her head. "T-thanks, T-t-Tai," she managed. For a moment or two he watched her, then he shook his head- dislodging a few snowflakes that had begun to fall- and looked away. What was up with him?  
  
TK looked up. "You all right, Kari?" I went to sit with him. He was more than just my boyfriend, always ready to talk to me, always friendly. If he knew what I knew, though... No. I couldn't think about that. TK put his arm around me and we sat together, looking at the moonlight on the Digiworld below. It was much warmer sitting with TK, we could keep each other safe from the cold. And, after all, everyone had known for about five years that we were going out together, so where was the harm?  
I heard a strange rattling noise. Surely it couldn't still be Mimi's teeth chattering. If it was, I didn't see that there was anything to do. Short of finding her a boyfriend to sit next to, I thought, and grinned. TK didn't know what I was thinking, but he smiled too, and we watched the final remnants of light fade away.  
  
I suddenly became aware that Tai was talking. He sounded strange, almost as if he were drunk, but I knew he hadn't been drinking anything but lemonade. It must just have been tiredness. "Think I'll... get some sleep," he murmured, already lying down. "Night...Kari... Night, Mimi..." Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep. I found myself wishing I was lucky enough to be able to sleep in this weather.  
  
Izzy finally turned off the databank. "Well, it's no use," he said irritably. "Haven't got a blinking clue where we are. Sorry."  
"Shh," Mimi whispered. "Tai's asleep."  
"Asleep?" asked Izzy. "In this?"  
"Mimi," said Joe, "sorry to ask, but whose sweater's that you're wearing? It doesn't look your style somehow."  
"It's Tai's," Mimi told him. "He let me borrow it 'cos I was cold."  
  
There was a pause. In the silence I heard the wind whistling somewhere high up in the mountains.  
  
"Wake Tai," said Joe in an unusually high voice. "For goodness' sake wake Tai!"  
"But he's just gone to sleep!" I protested.  
"WAKE TAI!" yelled Joe. Mimi clambered over and shook Tai by the arm.  
"Tai... Joe, he's gone a funny colour..."  
"Green?" asked TK.  
"No, blue," said Mimi. "And... Wake up, Tai! Wake up!"  
  
There was another silence, a feeling of helplessness. What was going on? I ran over to my big brother and shook him hard.  
  
"Tai! Wake up!"  
  
........................  
  
...I dedicate this chapter to Elle787 (fellow Digifan, website designer, knows more about Digimon than Izzy does) because she's the one who'll be left hanging by the ending. Thanks for being one heck of a beta-tester.  
  
.......  
  
Hazy- How's this, then?  
  
Dragon's Star- Three times? What? Oh well. Yeah, Kari's pretty easy when you get down to it.  
  
HuntressDiana- Yeah. Thanks, btw.  
  
Miaow227- Oh no! I just read your profile... won't say anything so as not to give away the story, (PEOPLE, DON'T READ IT!!) but you might not want to stay along for the whole thing now, if you want to leave this minute that's OK, you've been great. If you don't mind reading stuff not of your favourite sort (saying no more) stay. Oh no. HuntressDiana, now you too. Still, on the bright side, least now I KNOW you aren't an alter ego of Elle787. 


	7. The Longest Week of my Life

One Week...  
  
Disclaimer: Do I really have to bother? Oh, all right. I don't own Digimon.  
  
Bi: Eeeek!  
  
Daydreamer: [losing her reverie] What? What?  
  
Bi: What was that flash?  
  
Daydreamer: [irritably] Only lightning.  
  
Bi: I'm scared.  
  
Daydreamer: Well, close your eyes and listen to the story.  
  
Bi: But that's scaring me too. [Brightening up] Don't stop, though.  
  
Daydreamer: I wasn't intending to. Not when the chapter after this one-  
  
Bi: Yes?  
  
Daydreamer: Has 'him' in it.  
  
Bi: [under breath] Give me strength.  
  
..............  
  
Part Seven: The Longest Week of my Life  
  
.................  
  
RD: Oh... I'm a bit worried about this chapter. (But not half as much as about the next one...)  
  
................ *Joe*  
  
"Tai, man, wake up..."  
  
I groaned as Mimi desperately shook Tai. I knew I shouldn't have let them give up on the fire. Oh, well. I couldn't change that now, but I might be able to help Tai. I got to my feet.  
"Mimi, er..." I didn't want to upset her. "Perhaps we should try to get him somewhere warmer."  
We lifted Tai and struck camp. Suddenly TK remembered something. "Matt and Sora! How'll they know where to come?"  
"We'll have to leave some people here," I said. "Izzy, Mimi, can you carry Tai between you? There ought to be a Digimon village somewhere down there." I pointed. "I'll stay here with TK and Kari till the others get back, then we'll catch you up." It was a hard decision, but Kari looked a little ill and she might need some help. And Kari would feel better if her boyfriend, TK, was here. I nodded at Mimi and Izzy. "Get going, now."  
  
So there we were, huddled together in a half-demolished camp on an unidentified Digiworld mountain, two sixteen-year-old kids and me. I looked out across the snow. I could see Mimi and Izzy slowly making their way down, but there was no sign of Matt or Sora anywhere. Funny, that. You'd think they'd stick out against the whiteness of the world. I hoped they hadn't got lost on their way back. Well, nothing to do but wait and see.  
  
There was a strange little sound from behind me. I looked round, half expecting to see a hostile Digimon, but it was only Kari. I tried my best to deal with her like Tai. "You can't cry up here, Kari, the tears'll freeze. What is it?"  
"I just hope- hope Tai's all right," she said through her tears. "There was something I had to tell him- but I didn't know how to- and I never did..."  
"Tell me," said TK gently, putting an arm around her.  
"That's the problem. It's even harder to tell you..."  
  
Then Kari whispered something in TK's ear. I know when I'm not being included in the conversation. I turned away and started looking for some of the Digiworld constellations I'd invented last time we were here. There's one that looks like Gomamon with his mouth open. I took a long look at that one; it made me feel sort of sad and happy at the same time. Was Gomamon somewhere out there, too?  
"You're not!" gasped TK aloud. I turned back; Kari was crying harder than ever and he was staring at her with a mixture of delight and horror. "I mean, you can't be. Can you, Kari? Kari?"  
She gave a small nod and he took her hand. "Well, I mean, of course it doesn't change...we're still..." He was clearly lost for words. I looked carefully at Kari. I had a feeling I knew what she'd said to him, what her shock announcement had to be. Although it sounded unlikely to me, it made a lot of things fit. TK gripped her hand tight. "Oh, Kari. I'm sorry..."  
"Don't be," she whispered. "I guess it's for the best. It'll be all right..."  
And I sat watching the two of them, brought closer than ever by something that might have split another pair of teenagers apart. I stared out at the darkness of the Digiworld. No wonder the poor girl didn't know how to talk to Tai. I could only hope that she'd get another chance before the end of all this...  
  
We waited until well after midnight. Morning lit up the landscape like something on a Christmas card, but I still couldn't see Sora or Matt anywhere. I was really starting to worry. We couldn't stay up here indefinitely, but if they got back to find us gone... That was it. We'd leave some sort of field symbols. I'd been in the Scouts once, a long time ago.  
Carefully I helped TK and Kari up, making sure they didn't slip; the snow had turned to ice overnight in places. "Come on," I said. "We'll just have to find the others."  
  
I crossed my fingers out of their sight, not out of sarcasm but for good luck. This was turning out to be the longest, most difficult week of my entire life.  
  
................  
  
RD:  
  
Right. Just a minor warning now so you don't shout at me later. If (and the thing is wildly possible) you really hate Matt, you might like to skip the next two chapters and go on to the one after, which at least has Tai in it. However, if on the other hand you reckon he's the cat's pyjamas, you'll probably like it in spite of its awfulness. Good luck.  
  
HuntressDiana- You spotted it! Along with Dragon's Star you are now officially sharp and perceptive. Mind you, you DID have the advantage of knowing what it wasn't, and that would have helped you guess what it WAS perhaps. 'Typical Tai?' I'll take that as a compliment, I reckon.  
  
Forever Takari- Wowwwwwwwww! A good review from someone on my Favourite Stories list! What more could a girl ask for?  
  
Gerjomarty- Good to have another reviewer on board. Thanks for the compliments.  
  
Dragon's Star- I'm trying my best to update! This is crazy! # I wrote this fic on Monday, sent it to my friend on Tuesday, it was on the site by Wednesday, and the reviews came in on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, my inbox crashed on Sunday. # 


	8. The Darkest Week of my Life

One Week...  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Digimon, Biyomon'd fall in love with Gabumon. Has she? Then I rest my case.  
  
This chapter dedicated to anyone who thinks they'd be a likely candidate for Mattfanatics Anonymous. And don't look at the ceiling like that; there's no shame in dreaming of 2D perfection.  
  
HuntressDiana and Miaow227 are given special permission to ignore this chapter. I think they know why. I don't know where Dragon's Star's allegiance lies, but she's (I'm assuming you're a she, D's *, please correct me if you aren't!) so perceptive that she'll probably realise halfway through what's going on, and then she can leave if she so desires.  
  
.................  
  
Author's note: This chapter switches perspective a bit. Most of the time it's fairly obvious who's talking. I've marked changes of viewpoint with an asterisk * just for clarity (something I intend to do again later on.) Warning: Long chapter.  
  
.................  
  
Part Eight: The Darkest Week of our Lives  
  
*Sora*  
  
"We really ought to get back, you know," I said, looking at the sky. "The sun's going down." He nodded. I had nothing against rock-and-roll strange behaviour, but it was making for a pretty one-sided conversation.  
It had been a long walk and we hadn't really seen much. That is, I hoped we hadn't been walking round in circles. One snow-covered mountain much resembles another. And Matt, for all his good intentions, hadn't been a lot of help.  
I tried to figure out where it was we'd left Tai and the rest. Trouble was, it got dark quickly here. It could have been any one of about twenty snowy slopes. How were we ever going to get back?  
"There's no way we're going to find them before morning," I told him. "We'll just have to find somewhere and make camp as best we can."  
Matt pointed. I followed his eyeline and saw what looked like a cave, somewhere in the nearest mountain. It would have to do- snow was starting to fall, and I for one didn't want to freeze. We ran for it.  
  
*  
  
The cave was bigger from the inside than it had looked from the outside. Narrow tunnels twisted off into the darkness and stalactites- stalagmites? That was Izzy's kind of thing, not mine- hung down from the ceiling like icicles. I couldn't help shivering. Somehow it was just as cold even now we were out of the snow.  
"How big is this place?" whispered Sora. "I can't even see the back wall." It was dry in here. I wondered about making a fire but realised there was next to nothing that would burn.  
"It feels a bit warmer further in," she called, and I followed her. I wished now that Joe'd lent us a torch. It was so dark, but she was right- there was a current of warm air coming from somewhere.  
Suddenly, somewhere ahead of me, I heard Sora shriek. I ran forward, lost my footing and found myself falling. Darkness.  
  
*  
  
"Wake up."  
  
I opened my eyes a fraction. It hurt.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
My head ached, but I didn't feel like I'd broken anything. Good. Then I realised what was strange. I sat up with a start. "So, you do talk!"  
He grinned embarrassedly. "When it's important."  
I nodded. There'd be time for explanations once I figured out what had just happened. We looked around. A shaft of light shone down from high above our heads. Matt looked up at it thoughtfully. "We must have fallen down there somehow. And landed. here."  
"Well, let's see if we can find a way OUT," I said. "I mean, you're certainly not getting me up there."  
Matt tried to get to his feet. "Darn!.I think I've twisted my ankle." I gave him a hand. We looked around at the- room? Cavern? It was neither, or both- and stepped down from the ledge where we'd landed.  
We got halfway across the room before we heard the sound. Like a hiss and a rumble combined. Matt took a step backwards. Moments later a tentacle swept across the room.  
I don't know how we got back to the ledge, but from it we watched the tentacle slide across the floor and then vanish back beneath it. I shivered. "Looks like it's his place." Matt picked up a stone from the ground and threw it. The tentacle swept out and crushed it to fragments. Now it was his turn to shudder at the idea. We stared. Now I could see light filtering through at the other side, but it was unreachable. Stalemate, as Izzy would say. Wish he was here, I thought. He'd know what to do.  
  
We'd waited hours, throwing pebbles to check if it was safe yet. Presumably even terrifying monsters have to sleep sometime. It would seem not, however. It looked like there was more chance of Matt falling asleep than the monster.  
I took another look at the light source. We must have been unconscious most of the night- it was definitely daylight. Hold on. There must be light in here otherwise how could I see anything? Got it. There was some sort of flame flickering over in the corner. Shame that it, too, was out of reach.  
  
"What's that?" he suddenly said, his hand darting out to pick up something near his feet. He held it in front of me in the palm of his hand.  
"It looks like..." I hesitated. "A Digivice. But it's black."  
"Everything is, down here," Matt said. "But what use could a Digivice be to a non-Digidestined?"  
"Digivices helped our partners digivolve," I said slowly. "So they could fight on our side. But this black Digivice..."  
"Could be for-" He looked at me- "their side."  
I didn't need to ask whose side. It was there in his tone of voice. "Well, I'm glad this fell into our hands instead of anybody else's."  
"I know, but how do we get it somewhere it can't be used? There's no guarantee down here that tentacle-face won't grab it."  
"We've got to get it to someone who'll know about it. That guy we met, if we can. What was his name? Jedi or something?"  
"Gennai. But we'd have to get it out of here first, and it doesn't look like we're going anywhere in a hurry." He grabbed a pebble, threw it and watched miserably as a tentacle swept the floor.  
"It could be harmless."  
"Yeah, and I'm Bryan Adams. This thing's got darkness written all over it."  
"Matt. what are we going to do?"  
He didn't speak for a long while. I guessed he must be thinking. Occasionally he scrawled something in a notepad, but he wouldn't let me see.  
  
"Sora," he suddenly said in a strange bright tone, "I've had this weird idea about when we get home. Would you like to come sing with Emelesce?"  
"Well." I replied, startled by the change in mood, "I'd love to. If you think I'd fit in. I mean, I'm not exactly a rock chick."  
"You'll fit in perfectly." He smiled. "I mean, the band was never just about me, right?" I opened my mouth to disagree. "No. That's just what the press and the fans think."  
There was a kind of silence. I listened to the sound of our breathing echoing against the walls.  
"You still going to marry Tai?"  
"Well. Yeah. I think so." Why had I said that?  
"That's. That's good." Why had HE said that? I rubbed my forehead to try and banish the headache.  
"Sora, I've got an idea how to get- to get outta here." I looked at him. He seemed not to want to look at me. "Here- You'd better take this, in case I fall over. You know... My ankle." I reached out and took the black Digivice and some papers that looked like sketches of it, of the cavern. "Do you know how to run properly?" I shook my head. "You'll only need to run a short distance, so take deep breaths. Don't try to look around, it slows you down. Only look ahead, even if you hear that thing hissing in your ear. If you slow down, I might not be able to stop it grabbing you." I nodded. "When we get to the middle of the room, we hang back. I'll throw something to distract it. Then when I tell you, we run."  
"I'm not sure this is going to work..."  
He smiled. "Trust me, it will. Ask Izzy how I know, if you like." I looked up at him. There was something special about that smile, about the depth to his eyes, about the way he was looking at me. And suddenly I knew I didn't want to get back to the others, because there was something world- shattering I'd have to tell Tai...  
  
I closed my eyes as the stone skidded across the floor, hoping it would work. I heard a slithering sound coming closer, not daring to look. "OK, Sora! Now!" yelled Matt, and I started to sprint across the room. Some way across I opened my eyes. Don't look anywhere but ahead. Whoomph. The tentacle had knocked over the torch on the opposite wall, and it sounded like most of the place was going up. Only look forward. I reached the light at last and threw myself through the gateway. I couldn't see Matt yet. Oh, no! How could he run with that ankle? He must have forgotten about it. I had to go back for him-  
And in one moment, the cave roof collapsed and flames leapt through the gaps in the stone. The gateway might as well have never been there. I stood there unable to believe it. This couldn't be happening.  
This couldn't. Be happening. As I stared ahead of me, the sketches Matt had given me fell from my hand. Desperately I snatched them up before the wind could lift them. I caught one page of sketches in my hand. But the other papers looked different.  
One of them was folded in quarters. On the front it just said TAI. I pocketed it, a tear starting to travel down my face. There was a sheet of lyrics for a song, one I couldn't remember the band ever singing. And the final piece of paper had just a few things written on it, in his familiar scratchy handwriting.  
  
Emelesce  
  
MLS  
  
Matt loves Sora  
  
"No..."  
I didn't feel strong enough to stay standing. Instead I almost fell onto the soft new snow that covered the mountain, while dust and smoke clouded the air above me.  
  
......................  
  
RD:  
  
OK, now I can apologise properly for it not being Taiora. I had the whole thing planned out from the start and to change it would have changed the whole story. I'll write you unshakable Taiora fanatics something soon, if I have the time. But this fic was being sent to a friend before I published a word of it, and she's a Sorato girl. Me, I'm not saying. If you haven't guessed which I like better, more's the pity. 


	9. The Loneliest Week of my Life

One Week...  
  
NB: 1) I don't own Digimon. 2) I hate the last chapter as much as you probably do. I just have a melodramatic/romantic streak. Also I wrote that chapter mainly in the same public library as Forever Kari- it shows, doesn't it? [raises eyebrows]  
  
Part Nine: The Loneliest Week of my Life  
  
*TK*  
  
Joe walked on ahead of us, rucksack on his back. I was helping Kari now, hands linked, taking careful steps and not wanting to skid on a sudden patch of ice.   
  
Was that a light down there?  
  
We found our way down what was becoming a gentler slope, trying not to trip over snow-covered rocks, as another fresh fall of snowflakes landed delicately on everything. They melted into droplets of water on Joe's glasses as he looked ahead with an unexpected smile.   
  
"It's a Digimon village!" I shouted. Kari started to laugh from sheer relief, grasping my hand and starting down the last bit of the slope.  
  
"Not just any Digimon village," Joe grinned. "I recognise that architecture. It's a Yokomon village! They're friendly Digimon!"  
  
We stumbled into the main clearing at the village's centre. Tiny huts and houses surrounded us- the Yokomon's homes. Lights glowed from the windows.  
  
As we looked around, a Yokomon came out of one of the bigger buildings. "What?" it exclaimed.  
  
"We-" began Joe.  
  
"More human beings? I don't know," it muttered, though still in its charming voice. "We haven't seen any for eight long years and then six come along at once."  
  
"Six?" we said together, hardly daring to hope.  
  
Mimi was sitting at the end of what looked like twenty Yokomon beds pushed together. Izzy wasn't far off either, drinking something hot from a wooden beaker. Both of them looked up as we came in. "Oh, thank goodness!" Mimi exclaimed. "We thought we might have lost you."  
  
Tai was lying on the bed, goggles hung over the corner as he slept there, still unconscious. "He'll live," explained Izzy reassuringly. "But it could be a while before he comes round. The Yokomon are doing a good job of looking after him."  
  
Yokomon cookery hadn't changed much in eight years. What they served us now looked very like the stuff we'd turned down at another village- or was it the same one? Now, though, we tucked in without complaining. It wasn't actually bad at all.  
  
Suddenly I noticed Kari looking out of the window. "What's wrong?" I asked her.  
  
She turned. "Nothing's wrong exactly. I just thought I saw something out there."  
  
After a moment I saw it too, through the swirling snow that had become quite thick now. A dot of black on the horizon, moving too slowly to be a person- any right-thinking human being would be trying their best to get out of this by now. A Digimon, maybe, one that didn't mind the cold. We watched it. There was little else to do.  
  
Joe came to see what we were looking at, and squinted to see the distant silhouette. "It doesn't look like any Digimon I've seen," he said. So the three of us sat by the window, while Mimi rearranged Tai's covers and his hair for the hundredth time and Izzy tapped at his databank and sipped the hot drink he'd been given.  
  
The figure was coming in our direction. Kari closed one eye and focused on it. "No, I think it looks like a human," she said thoughtfully. "I know what you said, TK, but maybe whoever it is might just be tired."  
  
But then, from the opposite side of the house, a flash of light lit up the other window. Leaving the mystery to be solved later, we ran outside and dashed to see what had happened. Even Mimi left her seat and followed us.  
  
On the outskirts of the village- which wasn't actually far away, given the size of it- a huge tree had been standing. Now there was just a scorched trunk, all the branches turned to ash in a moment. "Lightning?" said Izzy. I felt doubtful. "We should tell the Yokomon to be careful." I couldn't disagree with that, and we began walking back to the house where Tai was being cared for.  
  
Before we reached it, though, Joe stopped suddenly. "I heard something," he said. Saying nothing, we followed him to one of the gates of the village and a little way out into the mountain snow. Then we saw.  
  
"Sora...?"  
  
She'd been almost at the village when the cold had finally got to her. Thank goodness she wasn't as badly affected as Tai. I guess it was because she'd stayed on the move.  
  
We wrapped her in Joe's sleeping bag and brought another hot drink. Eventually she started to look as if she knew what was going on.  
  
"What am I doing here? Where's Tai? Where..."  
  
Mimi pointed, a strange expression on her face. "Oh, Tai," whispered Sora. "Is he... I mean, will he..."  
  
"He'll wake up in time," said Joe gently, knowing she'd be concerned for her fiancé.  
  
"I'm amazed you got back here all right, dressed like that," Izzy remarked.  
  
"I had to get back," she said quietly.  
  
I carried over a bowl of food and a little wooden spoon. But I wasn't expecting the effect as I entered Sora's eyeline. With no apparent reason, she started to cry uncontrollably.  
  
"Sora, it's OK," I told her. "Whatever it is, it's all right. I know it's a pity about Tai, but he'll come round. Tell me about it. It's all right."  
  
"No, it isn't," she whispered. "Oh TK, it'll never be all right again. Ever."  
  
I held her hand. Kari went to her, and silently pointed at a piece of paper fallen from Sora's pocket. "It's addressed to Tai," she whispered. "I'll read it. I'm the closest thing we've got to Tai at the moment." Sora looked up for a moment but didn't try to stop Kari reading.   
  
She unfolded the paper.  
  
/Tai-  
  
I hope so much that you're reading these words. Because if you are, I haven't failed. Sora's all right.  
  
I've been wanting so much to tell you this, but I didn't want to hurt you. Now at last it doesn't matter any more- although in another way it matters so much.../  
  
As she spoke I felt myself detaching from reality, drifting as though I was dreaming, watching my friends' faces change from puzzlement to horror to sadness.  
  
It was midnight. Things were quiet now, the Yokomon's fluttering about reduced to a few soft shuffling sounds in the dark. I gazed silently around the room. The moonlight touched things and changed their appearance. Joe's glasses as he sat watching the stars. Izzy's databank, untouched on his knee. Mimi's bag thrown unconcernedly onto the floor, as Mimi next to it had finally managed to sleep. Kari's eyes in the dark, shining and glittering as she sat by my side. Tai's goggles as he slept, blissfully unaware of the world and how it could change.  
  
I sat with my arm around Sora's shoulders, the two of us supporting each other, looking like the dazed survivors of a disaster.   
  
Heartbroken Sora, Izzy unable to understand the situation, Joe with a thousand responsibilities on his shoulders, Mimi anxious and troubled, Kari hurt by guilt and worry, me unable to help any of the important people in my life, even Tai drifting somewhere in dreams no-one could break through to- even though we were at last together, I guess we were all alone.  
  
As I tried to sleep the window lit up again. I stared out at the night. There were no stormclouds, every star was shining as brightly as it could. Then this could mean only one thing, I thought to myself as I shook Mimi's shoulder to wake her. That the world needed saving on this, the loneliest night of my life.  
  
..............  
  
Miaow227- Thanks. Stick around.  
  
Butterfly()- I'm flattered. Matt? Wait and see.  
  
Scorpion05- Great to have someone new on board! And YAY a Sorato fan! (I was beginning to think all nice people were Taiora.)  
  
Gerjomarty- The wedding...You're smart. The building didn't exactly blow up, it collapsed...  
  
Forever Takari- Merci bien.  
  
HuntressDiana- You'd better not put a time constraint. Am WAY too busy. If I get finished by Christmas it's going to be a miracle.  
  
***ELLE787***- Thank you so much. 


	10. The Most Challenging Week of my Life

One Week...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.  
  
Bi: [cries]  
  
RD: [comfortingly, trying to sing] Don't you worry 'bout a thing, 'cos every little thing's... gonna be all right. (And I don't own THAT line either.)  
  
Bi [looks up] Dream, stop singing. I think you've just broken a light bulb.  
  
RD: That's my bird.  
  
..............  
  
Part 10: The Most Challenging Week of my Life  
  
*Tai*  
  
What had been going on? One minute I was lying drowsily on a snowy slope with the others sitting around and Mimi wearing my sweater. The next, I seem to be tucked up in bed with a nasty tingling in my feet and people talking in whispers outside. Hey, maybe this whole thing had been a dream, then. A shame, it had looked like turning out to be a great adventure.  
  
But one thing was clear from my dream, if a dream it was. I shuddered and tried to look like I was still asleep. When I woke up I'd have to talk to Sora, and tell her something no-one should have to tell their fiancée.  
Sora, it's over.  
  
How could it have happened like this? The two of us getting ready to spend the rest of our lives together, and then someone beautiful and unattainable had to mess up the whole situation. I'm sorry, Sora. She's just the most wonderful person I ever saw. And in my dream last night, there had been no question I'd do anything-  
I hoped everyone had had a good sleepover. Especially- shudder- Mimi. I shook my head to try and throw out the treacherous thoughts in it.  
  
As I ran through my options I heard someone come over to my bed. I opened one eye a fraction to take a look.  
Not Matt, or Mimi, or Izzy. The one person I'd been hoping for once not to see, with her pretty skirt and her ruffled reddish hair. "Oh, Tai," she said, a little awkwardly. "You're awake."  
My feet tingled even more, as though somebody was shooting cold water at them from a hosepipe. "Where am I?"  
"You're in a little place we found. Izzy'll fill you in later if you want. But Tai- I want to talk to you."  
"I need to talk to you, too," I murmured. She sat down on the end of the bed and looked at me. For one last moment we were still boyfriend and girlfriend, before I opened my mouth to break the news.  
  
"I- can't marry you, Sora. I'm sorry." There. I'd had the courage to say it, now I could only hope she'd be all right.  
Strangely, she almost smiled. "I'm...glad you feel that way, Tai. You see, I can't marry you either." I watched hypnotised as a tear snaked its way down her cheek.  
  
"Sora, I'm in love with someone else." She nodded. Did she understand? "She's beautiful. But - she's too much of a high-flyer to ever notice me."  
"He's beautiful too," she whispered, and I stared at her in amazement, shocked by her first words and bewildered by her next. "But I'll never see him again."  
  
Suddenly Izzy entered the room, giving a slight cough. "Sorry to interrupt the two of you, but there appears to be a rather large monster outside."  
"A MONSTER?" I shouted. So it hadn't been a dream after all! "What does it want?"  
"Well, I haven't done much research," said Izzy, "but from the look of it, I think it wants to take over the Digiworld. Horrible-looking thing. Huge green eyes, menacing glare, long sweeping wings with things on the end that look like black tentacles- Sora? Did I say something wrong?"  
"Come on, Tai," Sora said, standing up. "We've got to go and save the world."  
My feet felt so numb I could hardly move them. "But Sora, what good are we going to be against a massive Digimon?"  
"Tai, that's not like you," she said, and I realised it wasn't. I made a decision. I didn't understand what was wrong with Sora, but there was a world to save and tingling feet or not, I intended to do what I could to save it.  
  
We made our way out of the village, unsure of what we would see but certain that we had a part to play in this story. As we passed through the gate I turned to Sora. It might hurt, but I just had to know. I was surprised when I heard her ask the same thing.  
"Who?"  
And I felt a tremor of shock as the same answer formed on both our lips.  
"Your best friend."  
Matt....?  
  
But there was no time for that now. As we walked away from the village gates Mimi suddenly shrieked at me. "Get down!"  
I threw myself forward. A minute later the snow-covered tree beside me burst into white-blue flames.  
We looked upward and gasped. High above the Digiworld, an enormous creature was resting with its hand on the world's highest peak. What was it called? Spiral Mountain? Or something. I couldn't even think about the size of this Digimon. It twitched its huge wings and flicked the tentacle-like wires at their ends.  
"Looks like it's just shooting randomly at the moment," I decided. "We might have time to figure out what to do-"  
  
And then the Digimon started to speak.  
  
..........  
  
Hang on in there, people!  
  
.................  
  
Gerjomarty- Fanfic authors dream of reviews like that.  
  
HD- I can't GET italics. Darned server item. Btw, I've got writer's block on the Taiora. never volunteer to write a couple you can't really get your mind around.  
  
Dana Hirsh- Wow, thanks! [giggles nervously] But does this mean my email's in full view?  
  
Savoan Locc- (if that's how you spell it) I won't accept such language. We can't all be Sorato fans. Live and let live, and don't insult.  
  
Agumon2003- I can't remember, did I already say hi?  
  
Forever Takari- Thanks. Hmmmm. maybe.  
  
Scorpion05- Yes, I agree, they do.  
  
Miaow227- I'm blushing! 


	11. The Most Beautiful Week of my Life

One Week...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.  
  
.........  
  
Elle787: Daydreamer, you can't...! I would have thought you of all people wouldn't have done that to 'him' of all people... right???  
  
RD: Patience, Elle!  
  
Bi: Who're you texting?  
  
RD: Elle787, my fanfic beta tester.  
  
Bi [humming to herself] Don't you worry- about a thing-  
  
RD: [smiling generously] ...Cos every little thing is gonna be all right.  
  
Bi: Is it?  
  
RD: You'll have to see.  
  
.............  
  
Long chapter! Dedicated to Elle for her constant badgering. Sorry, dropped hints. Persuasion. Whatever. Also- I'm again using * to denote a change of viewpoint, and ~ for thoughts, where I'd put italics if this confounded Fanfic.net system would let me. Hold onto your digital hats (even if they're as strange-looking as Yolei's), it gets hectic.  
  
Also, anyone who's sharp ought to understand once I've been going for a while. Can you count?  
  
...........  
  
Part Eleven:  
  
The Most Beautiful Week of my Life  
  
The Digimon spoke in a triumphant voice, apparently unaware of our presence. He was gloating.  
  
"At last the Digiworld is mine. I didn't think it would be so easy. The Digimon have obviously lost their faith in the Light. Although that's not so surprising, if you consider that the Light did nothing for them when the winter came... A lucky coincidence, that, to achieve my highest power in a Digiworld millennium winter, the coldest for a thousand years. And even after my digivolution device was stolen, I could crawl through the tunnels that honeycomb these mountains. Luckily I managed to get within the required distance to digivolve and become strong. So now I am at my most powerful and none of them will oppose me."  
  
*  
  
I started whispering to the others. "Spread out. Get out of his sight."  
"What, precisely, are we going to DO?" muttered Joe, but he obeyed me. They all obeyed me. I guess I was back where I belonged, in a way, making snap decisions and leading the group.  
We found hiding places, where we could see but hopefully not be seen. I crouched down in a clump of snow-covered bushes and listened to this digital maniac talk.  
  
"Digimon of the world!" he shouted. I'd imagine they could hear him, too. From a long way off I saw Kari cover her ears with her hands.  
"Digimon of the world, listen and attend. I will be your guardian now, since the forces of Light have left."  
I suddenly had a terrifying picture of what the Digiworld would be like with this guy as its guardian. I shuddered.  
"Listen," he boomed. "Do not try to tell me, or anyone else, otherwise. The Light no longer exists. In fact, it never existed. There was never any light or dark, just... weakness and strength. Today you will recognise that. I challenge you: is there anyone, any creature at all down there, who still thinks it believes in the Light?"  
  
There was a still silence.  
  
~I won't be making anything better if I let him know I'm here. The best thing is to stay here...~  
  
...but suddenly I was being watched.  
  
From a viewpoint eight years in the past, by a spiky-haired kid with goggles on his forehead and an orange-yellow lizard by his side. A kid who wasn't scared of anything. He was talking to me.  
  
~Gonna let him act like that, Tai?~  
  
~No way.~  
  
I shoved myself up off the ground and cupped my hands around my mouth to shout.  
  
"Hey, you up there!"  
He looked down. I tried to keep my nerve. Now I'd got his attention, I had to say something. But what? Ah. The only thing I could say, really.  
"I... believe!"  
For one brilliant moment he looked like he'd been hit with a sledgehammer. Not that I've ever seen a giant Digimon hit by a sledgehammer, but you know what I mean.  
Strange... It felt like there was a slight weight against my chest. But it wasn't uncomfortable. It felt as though it was meant to be there.  
  
*  
  
I shivered as I heard Tai's voice. What was he doing? The crazy kid was sure to get himself killed.  
Then I shivered again. As I realised how much I would think of that as the worst thing in the world. This was worse than I'd ever thought it was. I was crazy too.  
~I've been hiding the way I feel from Tai- and the others. Somehow... I don't think I'm the only one. And now it's too late. And I'm trying to hide the fact... the fact I support the Light. Until it's too late.  
Well, I've had enough of that. It's time to say what I truly feel for once.~  
I brushed a pink-tinted lock of hair behind my ear and looked up. If Tai could do it, I could do it. I thought I heard my necklace clink against something, but I had no time for that. I was busy, doing what I thought was right.  
"Yeah! So do I! I believe!"  
  
*  
  
Even though I felt scared, I smiled as I saw Mimi get to her feet. Suddenly, like a flash of blue lightning in the middle of a storm, everything made sense. I pressed the button on the databank and started making alterations.  
  
Till... Courage and Sincerity... are linked forever, Till... Hope and Light are brought together, Till love becomes cruel and beautiful, But Love survives to fight another day...  
  
Then the second part of the prophecy caught my eye. 'The Digidestined children must have faith... For darkness is destroyed by those who believe.'  
  
~I guess that means you too, Iz.~  
  
I shut the databank with a click and put it into my bag. I still had that torch. Flicking the switch, I shone the light up into the air.  
  
"Count me in, Tai! I believe!"  
  
*  
  
I looked up at my brother, still inspiring everyone after all these years. I felt a little guilty for keeping so many secrets. Well, when we got home- if we got home- I'd tell him everything. But there were other matters in hand at the moment.  
Should I? Shouldn't I?  
  
~TK wouldn't like it if I got hurt. Especially not now.~  
  
~But how can I not say I believe in the Light? I wouldn't be doing what I've always done. I wouldn't be... Kari.~  
  
"Yeah! I believe!"  
  
*  
  
TK was by my side, crouching out of sight. He looked at me in disbelief as Kari stood on the snowy slope, staring straight at the monster. I looked back at him, not sure what to say.  
  
~For once I can't help. Everyone expects me to help them and support them. Always have. I want to say, always will, but that's looking more and more unlikely.~  
  
I couldn't take TK's expression.  
  
~It's like he thinks... I'm the only person who'll know what to do. But... I can't. Because I've just realised something.~  
  
"Sorry, TK. I can't help you right now. Because there's other people counting on me... Good luck."  
  
I adjusted my glasses and thought for a moment about the university books I'd left in Sora's flat a million light-years away. None of them had any advice about what to do in a situation like this. I just had to work it out for myself.  
  
"Hey, Tai! I believe!"  
  
*  
  
~I think I'm getting a headache.~  
  
Well, I wasn't really. That was a deliberate thought, to give me a valid excuse for sitting in the shadows with my head in my hands. All I'd been through and now this. What on earth was I to do? Back when I was eleven, I'd always known which route I was going to take, whether to stand or retreat. But then I'd had friends beside me. Biyomon and the other kids.  
  
~What would Biyomon do? She'd stand and fight. But I can't digivolve. I can't shoot green light out of my beak, or hurl meteors at the enemy.  
  
What would Tai want me to do? ...Or does that not matter any more?  
  
What would... Matt want me to do?~  
  
I tugged on the straps of an imaginary lucky hat and looked at the sky.  
  
"Matt! I believe!"  
  
There was a sudden feeling of coldness on my chest, but I ignored it. I wasn't going to run away because of any stupid nerves.  
  
*  
  
As I watched Joe- the one who'd always been even more nervous than I'd been- I began to feel that there was something special here. We were all becoming different people. Like...  
  
~Like, if Tai had thought about it eight years ago, this is the sort of person he'd probably hope he'd be when he grew up. All fearless and ready to save the world. And Mimi, always speaking her mind. I think... I think she's in love with Tai. I can tell. And Joe, always someone we can count on. Sora... I don't know. But Izzy, he looks like he knows everything now all of a sudden.  
  
Is this who I'd have wanted to be when I grew up? Well, I'm going out with Kari. That's got to be something. And... that's about it. I've been sticking by my family lately, but... I can't do that any more. And Kari... is probably in real trouble. So what's left?  
  
I still hope- no, I still THINK we can win this.  
  
Just like I always did, back then.~  
  
"Kari? Hang on! I believe!"  
  
*  
  
~It's weird, listening to them all. So close and yet so far.  
  
Ironic, really. For once, I don't want to impress anyone. I don't want to be able to recite Shakespeare or move someone to tears with my words. All I want is... a few words. But my throat hurts. I can't manage more than a whisper, and that would take a lot of strength after days of darkness.  
  
If I can't shout... maybe I don't have to. As long as I know that I WANT to. Two words. They'll probably wear me out even in a whisper, but then I made that decision what seems like a long time ago. I'm GOING to help. If I can...~  
  
Deep breath...  
  
"I... believe..."  
  
My arm moved and hit rock. I lost my balance and fell.  
Something wasn't right. There was a square corner, pressed against my cheek. It wasn't stone. Slowly I moved my hand and pulled it out from under myself.  
Gradually my expression changed to a smile of amazement. This was about the only thing that could save me, and it was here. And all I had to do was... breathe.  
  
*  
  
I was standing with my hands by my sides, gazing at nothing in particular as I waited for a reaction from the huge monster. I wasn't sure whether to be triumphant or horrified. For one thing, there was Mimi. I hadn't been expecting that. And Kari, TK... Still, it had happened now.  
Something caught my eye, lying in the snow by my feet. A glint of gold. I stooped and picked up the tiny item in my hand. The next moment I was tipping it from palm to palm, unable to believe it. The last fragments of snow melted away from the little golden telescope.  
I was so busy studying the telescope, feeling like I'd been suddenly connected to the younger version of myself, that I hardly took any notice of a conversation going on a little way away.  
"You're here, too? I wonder why..."  
"I just felt like I ought to be here. Maybe there'll be others arriving. I thought that..."  
  
Until it broke off into a sudden squeak of amazement.  
  
"Tai??"  
  
And I didn't need the telescope to know what that flash of orange scales meant. Across the slope, I saw a delighted Sora bury her unexpectedly lucky- hatted head in a bundle of fluffy pink feathers. I couldn't stop smiling as I threw my arms around a friend I hadn't seen in a long time.  
  
*  
  
I grinned as the little beetle-like creature came to sit on my shoulders. "I don't know," I said, shaking my head. "You don't do things by halves, do you? Tentomon and my old laptop turning up in the space of two minutes. What's next?"  
"Well, don't think you're the only prophecy student around here," buzzed my Digimon. "Everyone seems to have got hold of something they held in the past. You've got the laptop- and no comments about it being clunky, please- and from what I can see, that looks suspiciously like a pink hat Mimi's wearing. According to what I've found out... once all the things we've lost have been found again, we're going to have.. Power. To defeat this thing."  
"I hope these lost things turn up pretty soon," I told him with a glance at the monster.  
  
*  
  
I let Sora hug me. I'd missed her too, though by the sound of it she'd missed me even more. "Oh, Bi..." she whispered.  
Then I heard a strange noise. It was like air being blown through tubes, echoing faintly in my direction. "Sora? What's that?" I was sure I'd heard it before. It wasn't hurting my ears... it was more melodic. But I wasn't expecting her to freeze like that. It was as though she'd suddenly turned to stone. "Are you OK?"  
The next minute, she'd broken into a run. It was very hard to keep up with her.  
  
*  
  
The monster was still quivering with anger, probably contemplating what it was going to do to us in a minute. I held onto Gomamon and wondered why on earth I'd leapt before I'd had the chance to look.  
I was brought out of my thoughts by a desperate shout. Sora's voice. "Give me a hand here! PLEASE!"  
She was half-standing, half-kneeling on a snowless patch of rock, obviously damaged by a Spiral Twister or three. "Joe! Gomamon! You've got to help..."  
TK ran towards us, Patamon flapping behind him. "Sora? What's wrong?"  
That weird noise I'd heard was louder now. It was doing strange things to my ears.  
  
But then I saw TK's eyes widen, and I suddenly knew what Sora was doing.  
  
~No. surely not?~  
  
The rocks looked loose and unsecure. I snatched into my bag with one hand while Gomamon started to scratch with his claws. I had a steel ruler, and a bottle of water somewhere. But I could improvise. I had to.  
  
*  
  
Izzy had come to stand with me. "Tentomon says we should be forming a kind of circle of power," he muttered. "And we aren't. Something's wrong."  
I put my hands in my pockets and sighed. "Great. So we're taking on this guy with seven Rookie Digimon- oh, sorry, Gatomon's a champion. It won't make much difference either way. But we can't back off now and go 'Erm, it was a mistake. Sorry to have bothered you.'"  
I looked at Kari. She seemed to look a little fragile standing there, Gatomon on her shoulder like a playful kitten. Perhaps she was sicker than I'd thought. If I ever got the chance, I'd have to have a word with that girl.  
  
Then I heard Izzy shout triumphantly. "Yeah! We're in business!"  
  
I could feel something change. It was like all my hairs were standing on end with electricity. "All right! I'm ready!"  
  
It was a moment before I realised that Izzy wasn't looking at me, but past my left shoulder. I turned and found that, after all, not everyone else was down on the other side of the valley. It was good to know someone was here to help me out, even if he did look a bit exhausted and need his hair sorting out. At the back of my mind I was sure there was something wrong, but I couldn't work it out.  
  
"Hey, Tai," he said with a wicked smile, and my jaw dropped at the sound of a voice I hadn't heard in more than a year. "Let's bring the house down."  
  
*  
  
That weight on my chest, and the chain around my throat. Could it be...?  
  
Of course it could. We were back to what we'd once been, all of us.  
  
And then... the fireworks.  
  
"Agumon, warp-digivolve to... WarGreymon!"  
  
"Gabumon, warp-digivolve to... MetalGarurumon!"  
  
"Biyomon, warp-"  
  
"...What?"  
  
"Prodigious!"  
  
"I didn't know she could do that!"  
  
"...Warp-digivolve to... Phoenixmon!"  
  
"Tentomon, warp-digivolve to... HerculeKabuterimon!"  
  
"Gomamon, warp-digivolve to... MarineAngemon!"  
  
"Patamon, warp-digivolve to... Seraphimon!"  
  
"Gatomon... Oh, I'm not used to this... warp-digivolve to...Mangadramon!"  
  
This was amazing. We couldn't do anything but stare at six new Mega Digivolutions and how beautiful they were.  
  
[RD: Elle- thanks for the names. That's another favour I owe you..]  
  
And we didn't have to do anything as our Digimon ran, swam and flew towards the mountain and lit up the sky with a few fireworks of their own.  
  
*  
  
"We did it."  
  
Mimi was incredulous, gazing at the sky as the last few pixels of dark data faded into the sunshine.  
  
"Yeah. We did it."  
  
Tai took Mimi's hand carefully, Sora took Matt's as he slipped the harmonica into his back pocket.  
"I think I'll hang onto this," he said hoarsely. "It could come in useful again."  
  
Kari linked TK's arm, then glanced at Tai. "Tai, we need to talk." She paused. "But maybe not now."  
  
Joe looked around. "Well, it's finally better weather here. Should melt the snow before too long. Where's Izzy, you guys?"  
  
Izzy turned out to be doing something complicated with wire and the old laptop a little way away. He looked up as Tai came over. "Know what this is?" The Digidestined leader shook his head. "This is our ride home."  
He grinned as Tai looked a little regretful. "But this time... it's going to be the way it should have been eight years ago. It's going to be a two-way door, I've made sure of that. I'll stay with the Digimon until I'm sure it's stable, then we'll all come through to the real world. This is gonna change the way we think about the Digiworld."  
Tai turned to the others. "Well, I. I don't know what to say.Man, I don't know about you, but I think this has been one heck of a long week."  
  
*  
  
I felt my eyelids flutter open. Where was I?  
  
Oh... I was lying in bed with a crick in my neck, in the flat I shared with Tai. So it had been a dream then, all of it. Matt was a silent singer in a band, Mimi was just another ex-Digikid, Biyomon was still out of reach, and I'd be marrying Tai in seven days' time. I felt a tear in my eye.  
  
There was a loud, persistent ring at the doorbell. I ran downstairs in my slippers and opened the front door on an anxious-looking policeman.  
  
"Ah... Miss Takenouchi? Sorry to bother you, but we were worried for your safety. You see, we had a call from one of your neighbours..."  
  
I looked past him, hardly daring to hope.  
  
Seven morning newspapers, lying on the step. Fourteen bottles of milk, one for me and one for Tai, stacked up against the wall. Seven days' worth of mail in the letterbox. I started to laugh.  
  
One week.  
  
.................  
  
There's an epilogue to come. Don't stop reading. 


	12. EPILOGUE: Another Week, Another Life

One Week In Our Lives  
  
Maybe I do own Digimon. Maybe I don't. I don't care!  
  
Bi: Oh...my!  
  
RD: Told you.  
  
Bi: The power's come back on, Dream.  
  
RD: It's been on for half an hour.  
  
Bi: So now I can-  
  
RD: It's time excitable birds were asleep. But just one thing more.  
  
...............  
  
Epilogue: Another Week, Another Life  
  
NB: All new names are complete inventions. Well, I said it'd be alternate.  
  
................  
  
*Taki*  
  
"Happy birthday, Taki. How does it feel to be ten years old?"  
"Not that different, really," I say , and feel surprised when they laugh.  
"We said we'd take you wherever you wanted to go. Any ideas?"  
"I want to go over to Izzy's with all my friends. Can we?"  
"I already called them," smiles my mother. "They should be here pretty soon."  
  
It isn't long before Jay arrives. He's always been one of my best friends, as well as being my cousin. His mom and dad are chatting in the hallway. Jay's dad looks kind of like him, with fair hair and a sort of distant look. But his mom's got the same brown eyes as he does.  
"Jay was complaining this morning that however old he gets, your Taki's always going to be two years older than he is," says his father. My dad just laughs.  
"Looks like the tables have finally turned, huh?"  
  
My other friends are close behind. Kimia is my other cousin, and she's a year younger than Jay. Her hair is long and sort of toffee brown; it shines a lot, but it just won't settle down no matter what her mother does with it. She likes playing at the adventure park with Jay and me, though last time she fell off the climbing frame trying to do a handstand on top of it. She's a crazy girl, but it annoys me sometimes when she insists on wearing that red ribbon in her hair. She won't take it off since her mother told her it brings out the colour of her eyes.  
Amy is sort of quiet and very clever. Her hair's so dark it's almost blue, and her eyes are very dark as well. She's not related to me, but her parents have been bringing her over here since she was a baby and, well, she likes to hang around with us. Most of the time she's telling Jay and Kimia off for doing something they shouldn't. Her dad's from round here. He met her mom on a university course he was doing, and they got married. I always think that's kinda sweet. Amy's eight.  
  
And then, of course, there's our other friends. Amy's got Buka, and all the rest of us have two, I don't know why. I live with Nyaro and Toko, of course. None of the other kids at school seem to have them, but all our parents do so they must be pretty common.  
  
Once everyone's here, we start up the connection and go on over to Izzy's. He's a friend of my parents, and he's always glad to see us. His other friends, Tentomon and Gennai, have been organising the party.  
  
"Oh, no!" says Jay. "If we're here at Izzy's, we're gonna miss V-Mon!"  
"No you won't," replies Izzy. "I've got a portable TV here. It should be starting about now, right?"  
We're all very proud of V-Mon. We're devoted fans, even though our parents wrote it together when I was just a baby and we've seen all the episodes about six times. V-Mon stands for Virtual Monsters. It's about eight kids, a bit older than any of us, who get stuck in the V-Dimension; a bit like the Digiworld, where Izzy lives, but this one is ruled by evil creatures. Of course, the kids have their own V-Monsters as well; it always used to make me laugh how the friendly V-Monsters look like our parents' friends. Bi, Gomamon, Gato and Palmon... you can spot them all.  
We all disagree, though, over who's our favourite human character. Me, I'm a total Kelly fan. She's the little one, you know? With the whistle. I asked Mom once if they'd modelled the whistle on the one I'd got, but she just laughed. Jay thinks rebel-kid Bryan is the best character ever invented, but honestly, if I'd got that sort of musical talent, I wouldn't waste it playing the recorder at night. Kimia usually says at this point that Bryan's an idiot and the only two decent characters in the whole thing are Danny and Katie. But then she would- I reckon if you combined crazy Danny with sissy fashion-girl Katie, you'd get Kimia. And Amy just supports anybody who's sensible, which means that stupid bespectacled Simon most of the time. But enough of that.  
We watch in silence as Danny helps the rest of the group fight off evil V-Monsters yet again. He always wins, of course.  
  
Then it's time for the party. There's lots to eat and plenty of fizzy drinks, and then some party tricks from a few Digimon that Izzy invited. Mom lights the candles on the cake and leads the singing, of course.  
  
"Happy birthday to you,  
  
happy birthday to you.  
Happy birthday, dear Takari,  
happy birthday to you!..."  
  
I blow out the candles and make a wish. No telling. Then Jay's dad gets to his feet and waves a hand at the others. My parents go with him into the empty part of the room. A moment later Jay's mother is there too, carrying a microphone. I can't believe this. We're going to get a live concert. Dad strikes up a chord on the bass guitar, then both Jay's parents start singing. They fit together really well, but I'd only ever heard them on TV and radio up to now- their concerts go on way too late. As they finish, we all cheer.  
  
It's amazing how one day can go by so soon. It's the weekend, we can sleep over at Izzy's. I lie on the floor with Tokomon and Nyaro and start drawing a picture of little Kelly with her whistle in one hand.  
"You're obviously a real V-Mon fan, huh?" Izzy is looking down at me. I decide the drawing isn't much good. Kelly looks about twenty. But instead of letting me throw it away, he picks it up and starts absently adding a few shadows.  
I look at the picture thoughtfully. "I wonder if this is what Kelly's going to look like when she grows up?"  
Jay laughs. "Somebody ought to write a series about that. V-Mon: Ten Years Later."  
There's a weird sort of silence. I catch Kimia's dad looking at Izzy, then at Jay's parents, then mine. "Actually," he says, "we... did write a story about that. We didn't put it in the series, 'cos it wasn't the sort of thing that would fit. There's a lot of romance and stuff... and it's a bit scary at times. But maybe you ought to hear it now."  
We settle down in a circle, like campers around a fire. But the fire is the light from Izzy's water-powered lamp, and in the centre of the circle are our parents.  
"Who should tell it?" asks Kimia's mother, flicking a curl of hair behind her delicately jewelled ear. "I mean, Sora and TK... know some of it better than you do."  
"We'll all tell a bit of it," says her dad. "Each of us can talk about what happens to the character we designed. That means... Sora starts, I think. And it's called... One Week in Our Lives."  
Jay's mother takes a deep breath and fiddles with the reddish necklace she always wears. Then she starts the story.  
  
"Sam covered her ears with a smile so she couldn't hear the squeak of excitement at the other end of the line. 'Katie,' she said, 'calm down. It's not till next week, you know...'"  
  
The End ............................................................................ ............................................................................ ............................................................................ ............................................................................ ....................................  
  
RD:  
  
So here I am.  
  
Somewhere I thought at times I'd never be. At the end of One Week in Our Lives.  
  
I know you might be annoyed, but here's a list of credits. Don't leave, you might just be on it.  
  
Naturally, a thousand thanks are nothing near enough for my loyal beta tester, Elle787, who has patiently endured two months of emails and chapters to read and never once become impatient or critical. Without her support I'd have given up at the third chapter. Now, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do this (PLEASE tell me quick if I'm not, before the moderators do) but I want to suggest that you might like to show your appreciation by dropping in on her place. (sorry if I annoyed you into leaving by asking if you were a boy or a girl), Nami (hope you got the whole Matt thing eventually), Hazy (apologies if not enough Takari for you), Forever Takari (please update that story I'm reading!), Ger-jo- "So, the wedding's off then" -marty , Scorpion05 (stop blushing), Savoan Locc (I suppose), Agumon2003 (forgiven for not being a Matt fan), Dana Hirsh (thanks for the compliments), anyone else I may have inadvertently missed out and _________________ (write your name here.) 


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